Top 10 Best Test Batsmen in the World 2025 – Updated

Cricket is one of the most followed sports in the world, which is played in three different formats: Test, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and T20 Internationals (T20Is). ODI and T20I are played in limited overs with the white ball, while Test is played with the red ball, and the match could run for five days with a maximum of 90 overs a day divided into three sessions. Test is the oldest format of the game, and it is also said to be the original format. Almost every cricketer in the world dreams of playing in whites for their respective countries. However, only a few of them get a chance because the format requires extraordinary talent and skills with a great level of self-confidence and commitment.

It’s also hard for a batter to play in the Test format as the bowlers have less pressure of leaking runs in this format, which helps them to bowl with freedom. However, there have been many batters in the format who have etched their name in the history of the game. Best Test batsman like Sir Don Bradman, Sir Viv Richards, legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Alastair Cook, and many others have graced the format with their magnificent performances. Batters have a lot of challenges to face in the Test format, from adapting to different conditions to handling the pressure of the fans’ expectations. It has also been tough for a batter to stand out and produce some great performances.

Top 10 World Best Test Batsman - (Updated List 2025)

The list of the top 10 test batsman consists of some of the stalwarts of modern-day test cricket, including Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson. These batsmen have been scoring consistent runs for a while and are among the top 10 world best test batsman.

Who is the Best Test Batsman in the World?

The best batsman in Test cricket among the active players has shown terrific skills and talent over the years. It’s their years of hard work and training which has helped them to become one of the greatest players to grace the longest format of the game. But it’s not just about talent and skills; these players have also shown immense consistency to remain at the top of the list for years. Whether it’s about saving the team after a horrible collapse or building a big partnership with other batters, the world best test batsman can do all this and put forward a match-winning performance.

10. Jamie Smith | England

Jamie Smith has evolved as one of the best test batsman in the world in recent years, where he has become a frontline wicket-keeper option in the England test team. He has good batting skills and has good control over the ball. He can bat to take the game deep as well as at a high strike rate. Young English wicket-keeper Jamie Smith has shown his exceptional batting skills during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where he has been impressive with the bat and created a record under his name of the fastest 1,000 runs by a wicket-keeper in test cricket. In his international career, he has played 13 matches, where he has scored 1,056 runs with an average of 55.57 and the highest score of 184*.

9. Shubman Gill | India

Shubman Gill, Prince of Cricket, has shown his class in red ball cricket, where he has become one of the best test batsman in the world. He began his test career during BGT 20-21, where he showed his batting skills, which impressed many cricket experts, and how well he contributed to the team's success. Over the years, he did well for the Indian team, where he showed his class and has improved a lot as he was given a leadership role. Indian Test Captain Shubman Gill has broken a number of records with his exceptional batting and made his name in the world of cricket. In his international career, he has played 35 matches, where he has scored 2,500 runs with an average of 41.66 and the highest score of 269.

8. Rishabh Pant | India

Rishabh Pant has been the most consistent and best Test batsman for the Men in Blue in the past few years. No one can forget his Gabba heroics against Australia, which created history. Pant’s unique style of play makes him one of the most entertaining yet effective players in Test cricket. India’s star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has played 46 Test matches so far in his career and has scored 3,373 runs at an average of 44.38. The left-handed batter has 17 half-centuries and 8 centuries to his name. He has become the Vice-captain of the Indian Test cricket team and has been rewarded for this responsibility for his exceptional batting.

7. Kamindu Mendis | Sri Lanka

Kamindu Mendis is one of the unique players who has made his name in the world of cricket with his unique cricketing skills. He can bowl with both left and right hands, where he can bowl left-arm orthodox as well as right-arm off spin. Sri Lankan all-rounder Kamindu Mendis has done exceptionally well in test cricket with his batting, where he has scored plenty of runs in red ball cricket and done well for the Sri Lankan team to be one of the best batsman in test cricket. In his international career, he has played 14 matches, where he has scored 1,316 runs with an average of 62.66 and the highest score of 182*.

6. Temba Bavuma | South Africa

Temba Bavuma is one of the most underrated batters and the best Test batsman in the world right now. South African captain Temba Bavuma has not only displayed some great individual performances, but he has also taken the Proteas to new heights with his brilliant leadership skills and led the Proteas to their ICC WTC title, beating the mighty Aussies. Bavuma has remained consistent with his bat in the Test format and is one of the best Test captain in the world. He has played 64 matches in the longest format as of now and has scored 3,708 runs at an average of 38.22 with 25 half-centuries and four centuries.

5. Yashasvi Jaiswal | India

Yashasvi Jaiswal has played some magnificent knocks in Test cricket in recent years. His natural aggressive intent has helped him score big against some mighty opponents at a very young age. In a short career of 19 Test matches, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored 1798 runs so far at an impressive average of 52.88, which includes 10 half-centuries and four centuries. He has also smashed two double centuries. He has been very impressive with his opening and has cemented his place in the Indian test team.

4. Steve Smith | Australia

Steve Smith is undoubtedly the best Test batsman of all time ever to grace the game. The right-handed batter has given tough competition to batters like Indian star Virat Kohli, Root, Williamson, and others over the years. Smith was banned for one year from international cricket, but his magnificent performances in Test cricket helped him to remain in the top 5 batters list. Former Australian skipper Steve Smith has played 119 Test matches in his career so far and scored 10,477 runs at an outstanding average of 56.02. He has also smashed 43 half-centuries and 36 centuries so far and is also one of the only two active batters to hit 10000 runs in Test cricket.

3. Harry Brook | England

Harry Brook has achieved multiple milestones in Test cricket in just a short period. The star right-handed batter has already smashed nine centuries in just 28 matches. England’s young batter Harry Brook has scored 2,653 runs so far at an average of 57.67. Brook is just 26 years of age and has a lot of cricket still left to play, which means he will achieve many more milestones in the future. He has been very impressive with the bat, where he has been scoring runs for England consistently, and was awarded the ICC ranking number one until his teammate Joe Root claimed his top spot again.

2. Kane Williamson | New Zealand

Kane Williamson is one of the greatest Test batters in the current generation. From leading the team to achieving multiple individual milestones, Williamson has shown a great level of hard work over the years. Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is also a part of the iconic ‘Fab 4’ along with Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Joe Root. The right-handed batter has played 105 Test matches so far in his career and has scored 9276 runs at an impressive average of 54.88, featuring 37 half-centuries and 33 centuries. Most of the time, he has remained in the top 10 rankings of the ICC Test batters, which shows how consistent he is.

1. Joe Root | England

Now comes the best batsman in Test cricket in the current generation, Joe Root, who has left behind all his competitors by scoring a plethora of runs in the longest format of the game. Playing in different conditions never affected Root’s style of play. Whether it’s playing in the overcast conditions, facing extra bounce from the pacers, to playing in spin-friendly asian pitches, Root has proved his talent everywhere. Former England captain Joe Root has played 157 Test matches so far in his career and has scored 13,409 runs at an average of 50.80, including 66 half-centuries and 38 centuries. He is currently the number one-ranked batter in the ICC Test rankings and one of the best test batsman of all time. Recently, he has surpassed Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run scorer in Test cricket history and is only behind Sachin Tendulkar, who sits at the top with 15,921 runs.

Who is The Best Batsman in Test of All Time?

Sachin Tendulkar is fondly known as the "God of Cricket" and is widely regarded as the best test batsman of all time. Over a legendary career that lasted 24 years, he scored a record 15,921 runs and 51 Test centuries. But beyond the statistics, it was his calm presence and ability to perform under pressure that set him apart. He faced the world’s best bowlers in every corner of the globe and consistently delivered. For millions of fans, Tendulkar was more than just a player; he was the hope of fans every time he stepped onto the field.

How We Ranked The Best Test Batsman in the World - Rankings Factors

The ranking has been done on the following factors, so that all the worlds best Test batsmen are ranked fairly.

• Batting Average (Recent & Career): Apart from scoring runs, it’s also important for a batter to have an impressive batting average, which shows how consistently a batter has scored runs. It’s one of the most important factors for a batter to be ranked as the best Test batsman in the world.
• Runs Scored Against Top Teams: To rank the best Test batsman, it’s important to see how many runs a batter has scored. Batters with the most Test runs will rank higher in the list. Scoring runs in the Test format is always a tough job, whether the batter is playing in home conditions or overseas conditions. Playing against quality pacers and spinners, hitting boundaries and scoring runs against them makes a batter great.
• Performance in Away Matches: The performance in away matches is what matters a lot, and how well they adapt to foreign conditions (e.g., seaming England, spinning India, bouncy Australia) is a crucial factor to rank the worlds best test batsmen.
• Impact per Innings (Clutch Index): Assesses how crucial their innings were to team outcomes (win/save/loss situations). This helps us to determine how impactful a batsman has been in clutch situations and to rank the top 10 test batsman.
• Strike Rate in Tests (Contextual): Useful to differentiate modern players who can shift momentum without being reckless, and sometimes an attacking intent is also needed in Test match cricket to put some pressure on the opposition, and these modern-day batters are capable of doing that, which helps us to rank the top 10 test batsman.